First Aid

In a crisis situation where public services are not functioning, health centers and hospitals will quickly become overloaded. When roads are difficult to access and public transport is unavailable, it can also be challenging to reach the medical care you need in time.

Both major and minor injuries can have serious consequences. A deep cut with heavy bleeding can quickly become critical, just as a small infected scrape can become serious over time. The ability to care for yourself in both major and minor incidents can therefore be crucial, and a first aid kit can be invaluable. Take stock of and get to know your first aid kit. Ideally, complement it with the medications you personally need in order to manage for a period of time.

How to Treat Wounds

Here we want to share some advice and practical tips on how to best care for a wound. To avoid infections, it is important to clean the wound as quickly as possible. Remove any glass, gravel, or other debris by rinsing it out. Then clean the wound with wound wash or a mild soap. Make sure to also clean the skin around the wound carefully.

Minor Cuts

If emergency care is available, always see a doctor for larger injuries. For minor cuts, rinse the wound and bring the edges together. Keep the injured area elevated to slow blood flow and apply pressure with a clean compress until bleeding stops. Try to close the wound by attaching a bandage on one side and then stretching it across the wound to fasten the other side. Surgical tape or wound closure strips also work. Leave in place for a few days to allow the body time to heal.

Deep Cuts

Deep cuts should be stitched within 6 hours. It is therefore always best to seek medical care for deep cuts, especially if the injury is on the hands. If, after a hand injury, you cannot move your fingers without severe pain, you should always seek emergency care as joints may be damaged.

Larger Wounds and Heavy Bleeding

Here you should use larger compresses, sometimes several. Use surgical tape to fasten the compress, and if tape is not enough, wrap gauze around it. If the wound is bleeding heavily—spurting or pulsing—you may have injured a major artery. The injured person should be laid down, and the affected limb should be kept elevated. Stop the bleeding by applying pressure directly to the wound using a pressure dressing, a first aid bandage, or cotton rolled tightly into a compress. Wrap gauze around the dressing without applying excessive pressure. For such serious injuries, emergency care should be sought immediately, and call emergency services for immediate help.

Moist Wounds Heal Faster

In a moist environment, new cells form more quickly, allowing wounds to heal faster and reducing the risk of infection. Infected wounds should never be covered with a plaster, but on thoroughly cleaned wounds, special modern plasters can be applied. These are extra thin, replace the scab, and are flexible and waterproof, so you can shower or swim with them.

What Happens as a Wound Heals

Several things take place as the body begins to repair itself. Platelets and red blood cells form a scab. Fibrinogen leaks from the blood vessels and turns into fibrin, creating a net that traps blood cells. White blood cells then stream to the area to fight any bacteria. The skin around the wound may become slightly red—this is inflammation, the body’s normal way of healing a wound.

If the redness becomes pronounced, the wound should be treated regularly with wound wash. Rinse or dab with cotton soaked in wound wash. If the wound becomes severely infected, producing pus and red streaks leading toward the lymph nodes accompanied by fever, it is a clear sign of a serious infection, and medical care should be sought immediately.